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Former Kentucky track star Simidele Adeagbo headed to Winter Olympics — in skeleton

Have questions about the skeleton event? Get them answered. USA TODAY Sports

A matter of inches — 8 to be exact — signaled to Simidele Adeagbo that her athletic career was over.

She fell that short of qualifying in the triple jump at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials and resigned herself to walk away from track and her Olympic dream at 26.

Nearly a decade later, visions of medals had begun to fade from her head when she discovered an opening that in six months took her to the Olympics, where she will compete with her face inches from ice as she hurtles head-first down a frozen course.